Community Forums

GunEBear · 08-10-2021, 01:05 PM

Can anyone provide a recommended route from Northern VT (05401) to Phoenix AZ. We will be leaving in mid February and have a hard arrival date of Feb 25, 2022. Planning on allowing 9 travel days. I would like to avoid I-90 around Lake Erie due to lake effect snow. 40 foot Class A with a toad.
Any routes to avoid at all costs? Major road closures...
Mike G

Sue46 · 08-10-2021, 01:08 PM

I can't recommend a route but at that time of year I would head south, no lingering.

Cousin Ed · 08-10-2021, 02:26 PM

Watch the weather; don't drive in the snow and get to I/10 asap!!!!

twogypsies · 08-11-2021, 12:39 AM

Head straight south and come into Phoenix via I-10. That's a bad time of year for anything more northern. I-40 from Albuquerque to Flagstaff to I-10 to Phoenix is especially bad. Come in from the south.

pduggs · 08-11-2021, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Head straight south and come into Phoenix via I-10. That's a bad time of year for anything more northern. I-40 from Albuquerque to Flagstaff to I-10 to Phoenix is especially bad. Come in from the south.

Agreed. Trying to head directly west from Vermont is dangerous. Head directly south, but plan your departure around the weather forecast. I-10 to Phoenix is best.

boomersooner · 08-11-2021, 05:06 AM

Agree on getting south quickly. Just a quick look maybe take 95 to I20, I 20 to 85 (Atlanta) to I65 (Montgomery), to I10 and head west.

Bigd9 · 08-11-2021, 06:12 AM

Since you have a hard arrival date, I would plan generously adequately time to get there due to weather delays. In my opinion and experience, timing around a snow storm is important. Usually interstate highways are kept cleared, or at least drivable. My mindset is if the big trucks can drive it, so can I. Also, my coach does amazingly well driving in snow. We usually encounter snow covered roads in the mountains on our way to snow skiing areas.

**hamm2018** · 08-11-2021, 04:44 PM

We were in Goodyear for 4 months , December 15th to April 15th, last winter. We had friends tried to come out and meet us the first of February from Ohio, but due to weather had to postpone travel 3 times until they could get out first of March.
Keep an eye on the weather and plan it accordingly.

Sue46 · 08-11-2021, 07:35 PM

We were in Fort Stockton TX one year in Jan/Feb. 10-12" of snow. No water from the CG, pump froze and all the faucets. Hwy(I10) closed. Ended up staying an extra day.

We have also had snow in NM on I10, altitude is 4000-5000' I think.

**hamm2018** · 08-12-2021, 06:30 AM

There is another option available to you. Consider taking the RV out earlier and putting in a storage area then either fly or drive a car. Because you will probably need to leave the rig winterized until you get to around Texas zone.

Last year we were in Fort Stockton around December 4th. Next morning we went to leave and we had sleet, snow. We ended up with a couple of inches but we drove west on I-10 for about 50-60 miles and ran out of it, finally.

twogypsies · 08-12-2021, 10:46 AM

West Texas is typically cold, windy and possible snow/sleet all winter. When you get to ElPaso it's a lot better.

spuds · 08-12-2021, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Head straight south and come into Phoenix via I-10. That's a bad time of year for anything more northern. I-40 from Albuquerque to Flagstaff to I-10 to Phoenix is especially bad. Come in from the south.

I40 across OK and the TX panhandle are equally bad. In February you are potentially looking at closures for days due to winter storms/ice/wind.

Get to I10 as quickly as you can. Of course getting there, especially if you have to take I81 through PA, can be pretty darned treacherous that time of year as well.